Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was a Dutch Baroque painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. He seems to have never been particularly wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death, perhaps because he produced relatively few paintings.
Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, and frequently used very expensive pigments. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work.
"Girl with a Pearl Earring," often referred to as the "Mona Lisa of the North" or the "Dutch Mona Lisa," is one of his most famous works.